


always dealing with the devil, always into taking those chances

by screaminghalfpastmidnight



Series: happy endings aren't overrated [2]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Elseworlds, Fluff, Future talk, Married Olicity, Post-Crisis, Pre-Crisis, Pre-Crisis Timeline, barry and oliver are better friends than they are portrayed on the cw, nora saves ollie's life, oliver queen feeling guilty as usual, queen family cabin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:40:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28536765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/screaminghalfpastmidnight/pseuds/screaminghalfpastmidnight
Summary: after elseworlds, when nora west-allen lets a few things slip about the future, stops oliver from making a deal with the monitor, and instead makes her own to save both him and her own father, oliver returns home to his wife and tries not to feel guilty about letting his best friend’s kid die for him. it’s…. a complicated process.--set in my universe where nora saves barry and oliver, they dont die in crisis and there is a new, better world post-crisis.takes place after chapter five of 'all over me like a wine-stained dress' but you don't have to read that to understand.
Relationships: Barry Allen & Oliver Queen, Barry Allen/Iris West, Felicity Smoak & Iris West, Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Series: happy endings aren't overrated [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1576168
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29





	always dealing with the devil, always into taking those chances

**Author's Note:**

> title from "Heaven and Back" by Chase Atlantic
> 
> this takes place after chapter five of 'all over me like a wine-stained dress' but if you don't want to read that, here's a summary:  
> nora comes back to the past in s5 of the flash specifically to save oliver and barry's lives. she stops oliver from making his self-sacrificial deal with the monitor during elseworlds and lets some things slip about the future - mia's existence, nora and mia falling in love, crisis being moved up to december 2019, and barry allen from E-90 dying in the place of E-1 barry. oliver lets nora make the deal, knowing it will kill her and in turn, save him and the lives of many others.

When Oliver hangs up the call from Kate Kane, it’s only then that he realizes Barry had run him to Central and that he’d now have to take the train all the way home. Which really is not that big of a deal but considering how exhausted he is from recent events, he really just wants to head on home to his wife, especially now that they’ve reconciled. 

And now that he knows that in a month, she’ll be telling him she’s pregnant. With their baby. Who they’ll name Mia. Who will grow up to date Barry’s daughter and then break her heart once they get engaged. 

It’s been a lot.

When he gets back to the apartment, Felicity’s curled up under a blanket on their sofa, typing into her laptop. She lights up when she sees him, the way she always has, and sets her laptop down on the coffee table, making room for him beside her. “Hey! I thought you’d be back earlier than this. I guess you two had a lot to talk about.”

“We did.” Oliver confirms, taking off his shoes and jacket, setting them neatly in their front closet. “But Barry and Nora had to go deal with a meta and he forgot to speed me home, so I took the train.”

He sits down beside her, arm going over her blanket-covered legs as she extends the fabric to cover him too, hand coming up to rest on the back of his neck. “Yikes. It’s not like Barry to be so forgetful, although I suppose he has a lot on his hands. Speaking of,  _ when _ were you going to tell me that he has a  _ daughter  _ from the  _ future _ visiting? I mean, I have faith that I would’ve figured it out since she is like, a  _ perfect _ mix of Barry and Iris, but  _ still. _ Even with all the crazy things we’ve seen recently, that is  _ nuts _ .”

Oliver smiles, running his hand over her thighs. “He came to visit me in prison and told me. Honestly, I sort of wished it was all a dream. He’s not taking it well.” Felicity tilts her head, a confused look on her face and he elaborates. “Not having our abilities today meant that we did a lot of talking. They had a fight over thanksgiving. Barry’s heart stopped and she had to give him CPR to bring him back to life.”

“Oh my god.” Felicity whispers, shaking her head. “I can’t even imagine…”

“I know.” Oliver hums. “And he didn’t know what to say. How do you console your own daughter after she’s just watched you die?”

Felicity shifts in her seat, facing him with her cheek resting against her palm. “Why is she here in the first place? Is she stuck or something?”

Oliver sighs, looking her in the eyes. “I actually wanted to talk to you about that. Something happened today, Nora told me some things… Only you’ll have to keep it a secret.”

“Okay.” She says softly, beckoning him to continue.

“So, I told you about the article Barry found that says he disappears in a Crisis in 2024. Nora told Barry and Iris that she’s here because he dies in that Crisis and she never got to know him.”

Felicity hums, biting her lip as she thinks. “Why do I feel like that’s not the whole truth?”

“Because she’s here to save his life. She has a plan and it’s a  _ good _ one. I think it might actually work, but in order to  _ save _ a life…”

“You have to take another one.” Felicity finishes, coming to her own conclusion. “She’s trading her life for his.”

Oliver frowns, wishing it were that simple. “ _ A _ flash has to die. It doesn’t have to be Barry, but the task that saves the multiverse  _ and _ kills him can only be done by someone with super speed. She told the Monitor today that a different Barry Allen is going to take Barry’s place.”

Felicity nods. “Okay, so a Barry dies for our Barry… what does that have to do with Nora?”

“Nora made a deal with the Monitor today. In her timeline, Barry died in Crisis and so did I. But today, she offered the Monitor extra manpower and her life in order to save mine. The Crisis will be moved up to December of 2019, which somehow means Earth-90 Barry can take our Barry’s place, and she’ll die this year taking mine.”

“Holy shit.” Felicity breathes out, stunned at the revelation yet unbelievably relieved. She leans up and presses a kiss to his cheek, holding her lips there for a moment longer than she needs to. “So, if Nora hadn’t interfered… you would’ve died next year?”

He huffs, the weight of the situation setting in. “Technically, I would’ve died in 2024. But with the changes she’s making while she’s here… in a year from now, Barry and I will fight a Crisis, along with whoever Nora’s asked to help us out, but she’ll already be dead by then. And the worst part is, I can’t even tell him.”

“It’s for a good cause…” His wife reasons, though she looks like she doesn’t believe that herself.

“What if it was William?” Oliver asks immediately. “What if he came here from the future and signed his own death warrant to save Barry’s life, Barry  _ knew _ about it and didn’t tell me? I’d  _ hate _ him.”

Felicity shakes her head, certain of her words but Oliver knows better. “Barry couldn’t hate anyone.”

“But he does, Felicity. I  _ was _ Barry today. I felt things, I  _ saw _ things. He  _ hates _ Thawne. The real type of hate that ruins your life, the hate you can never let go of.” The hate Oliver knows all too well. He’d known the Reverse Flash had killed Barry’s mother, and Oliver himself has run villains into the ground for killing the people he loves, but he just never saw that type of darkness in Barry until today. “Besides, this is his daughter. It’s different.”

Felicity sighs, eyeing him intensely as she shifts her legs to relax them over his, her hands now cupping his face. “Look, we’d be naive to think that he’s not going to be angry with you for this. But if Nora’s right and her plan works, she’s saving a lot more people than just you and Barry. He’ll be hurt at first,  _ especially _ when he’s grieving, but sooner or later he’ll realize that she made a choice for the greater good. It’s exactly what a hero would do. And then he’ll be  _ proud _ .”

He nods, taking in her words. He wants to tell her everything he knows. That they’ll have a daughter. That because of Nora, he’ll get to see her grow up. That if after Nora dies, she’s reborn in this timeline that she’s changed, Oliver’s going to make sure they grow up together.

But he wants Felicity to have this  _ one _ thing the normal way. Wants her to find out and do her happy dance and then plan how she’s going to give him the good news. They’ll want to tell William together, he knows. He wants all of that. So, he keeps his mouth shut, leaning up to kiss her twice and then cuddling into her side, thumb stroking circles into her skin.

\--

When it’s Mia’s second birthday and all of the people they love are gathered in the backyard of their quaint little cabin, Mia cuddled up in her Auntie Thea’s arms and William chasing Roy around with a nerf gun, Oliver stands by the snack table with his wife under his arm, swaying them slightly as Barry and Iris arrive - late, as he knew they would be (super speed does nothing for time management skills). 

He accepts a hug from Barry as Iris and Felicity squeeze each other, then pulls his wife back in, Barry’s arm going around Iris’ shoulders, her engagement ring glistening in the summer sun. “God, I can’t believe she’s two already.” Barry breathes out, a smile on his face as he stares at Mia from across the patio.

Felicity giggles, following his gaze. “Yeah… honestly, William’s the one that freaks me out more. First year of high school - done! Where the hell did the time go?”

Barry leans the side of his cheek against Iris’ head, grinning. “Yeah. Kids do grow up fast. That’s what I’m most scared of.”

Felicity’s jaw drops slightly, starting at Iris. “Hey, hey, hey. Iris West-Allen, what is that look on your face?”

Barry removes his head from hers and they share a knowing glance. Oliver’s certain he knows what it means. Iris tilts her head at them, smiling so wide it must hurt and then she breathes out a response.

“We’re pregnant.”

**Author's Note:**

> title from "Heaven and Back" by Chase Atlantic
> 
> leave a comment if you liked it :)


End file.
